Synopsis for "This Blood is Thick: Plots"

Since staged crimes would never draw the Batman out, Batwoman suggested to the DEO that they release real criminals in Gotham City. Now that the criminals are wreaking havoc, it is all that Kate can do not to intervene and blow her cover. However, her own compulsion surely suggests that Batman will feel the same - but he is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, Maggie Sawyer is annoyed to find an army of DEO Agents outside her precinct. Unsympathetically, Agent Chase responds that the DEO has declared martial law, locking down the city, an taking control of the Gotham City Police Department's resources. Angrily, Maggie mutters that this wasn't part of the plan, revealing that Kate had told her of the plan to lure out Batman, to Chase's displeasure. Threateningly, Maggie warns that if Kate gets injured because Chase decided to change the plans, she will kill her. Harvey Bullock reacts with confusion when Chase responds by confiscating his and Maggie's weapons, and takes her into custody.

Fortunately, Batman arrives before Kate is moved to take down Bane, but he clearly suspects that Bane is working for someone, as working with the likes of the Mad Hatter in a coordinated attack is beneath him. When Bane refuses to talk, Batman injects him with a chemical that neutralizes the venom in the man's blood, converting it into a toxin that forces his body to purge it. As Bane vomits uncontrollably, he manages to cough out the name "Bones". As Batman rushes off, Kate reports that he has taken the bait.

On the outskirts of a DEO safehouse, Hawkfire commences her infiltration mission, having received the go from Kate. The Crows' tech neutralized the outdoor motion sensors, allowing her to get to the real security - the guards - and put to use the melee training that her uncle had given her.

Batman catches up to Director Bones on the decks of the Serpent's Wake, angry that the DEO would put thousands of lives at risk merely to get him there. Grinning around his cigar, Bones responds that he did it because Batman's identity is his white whale, and he intends to catch it, once his backup arrives. Lowering his head, Batman demands to know where Batwoman is. Suddenly, Kate drops down from an upper deck, and fills Batman's suit with a high-voltage current. Grumpily, Batman punches her in the face, warning that she should have known his armour is insulated. Surprised, she struggles to maintain consciousness.

Kate takes a leaf from Bane's book, having remembered his admission that he had only defeated the Batman through treachery. She uses a series of planted charges to blast a hole in the ship's deck, sending Batman falling through. In fact, she had given him the shock initially to give him an electromagnetic charge - not to hurt him. With the charge, she can track him with her mask's lenses - but she worries what his lenses can do, and so blinds him with a batarang in order to give herself a greater advantage.

Hawkfire reaches gets inside the facility easily securing an access card, amused that her training simulations were actually more rigorous than the DEO's actual security. She is somewhat taken aback when she opens Beth Kane's holding cell, and finds the woman somewhat disoriented, and chained. Unfortunately, the guards catch up to her before Hawkfire can get Beth out. Beth suggests that if Hawkfire removes her chained gloves, she might be able to help them both escape.

Carefully plucking the batarang from his mask, Batman urges Kate to stop trying to fight him, and grabbing him around the neck, she growls, "No."

Notes

This book was first published on October 16, 2013.

Following controversy when DC editorial refused to allow the writers to pursue certain plot threads - particularly the marriage of Kate Kane to Maggie Sawyer, Batwoman #24 was the last issue by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman to be published. Marc Andreyko would take up the writing duties with the next issue, despite the fact that Williams and Blackman's story was meant to be concluded in #26, with their scripts already completed.

The version of the Birds of Prey that appears in this issue is not current with continuity at the time of publication. At the time of the issue's release, Starling and Katana had both left the team, but are depicted as members.